(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a frying device for the baking while swimming of portions of foodstuffs, pastries and similar, especially in pieces of individual portions in accordance with the preamble of Claim 1 hereinbelow.
(2) Prior Art
Baking while swimming is understood as referring to the preparation of foodstuffs or pastries and similar (hereinafter jointly referred to as foodstuffs) and is characterized in that the foodstuffs are refined while swimming in hot fat, i.e. baked in a manner appropriate for consumption. The term “frying” has also asserted itself for this type of foodstuff preparation, while “frying device” has asserted itself for the equipment employed therefor and will be used hereinafter in the description of the invention. The frying device in accordance with the invention is particularly intended for the preparation of heaped assemblies made up of strip-shaped pieces of more or less identical size.
A heaped assembly of the described type frequently intended for consumption is made from potatoes and is prepared for consumption by frying. Such heaped assemblies are generally known as “portions of potato chips”.
For the production of portions of potato chips there is known a device that produces these chips in a self-active or automatic manner from a heaped assembly of crude or pre-cooked potato pieces. To this end the known device essentially comprises a storage container for the crude potato chips and a frying drum, the storage container communicating with the frying drum by means of a pipe connection.
A ladling device acting in the storage container constitutes a heaped assembly of a predetermined quantity and transfers this into the pipe that conveys the heaped assembly into the frying drum. In the frying drum the heaped assembly is cooked in hot oil and thereafter is removed from the frying drum.
In the frying drum containing liquid cooking fat there rotates a manipulator (or agitator) that along its circumference is provided with rakes that project in a radial direction and are arranged at equal spacings; these rakes guide the heaped assembly through the hot cooking fat and subsequently remove it from the device. The cooking fat becomes consumed when this is done and must therefore be periodically replaced. The replacement takes place by means of an outlet tap (faucet) that eliminates the old cooking fat from the frying drum, the frying drum being subsequently filled again from its front face. Prior to filling, however, the frying drum has to be cleaned in order to maintain the device in a hygienically perfect condition and this implies a considerable expenditure of time and labour, with the additional danger of losing cooking fat due to the replacement.